Indigeny and Energetics is a redefinition of the historical process of the development of the sacred human relationship to land and nature. This relationship is universal, a global naturo-spiritual dynamic with social, political, technological and environmental ramifications. Application of these concepts redefines the primacy and importance of the indigenous human experience and projects a positive human developmental outcome that cannot take place without this redefinition.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Though the vatican did not write the review, per se, it has the implied nod and support of the vatican which carries a lot of influential weight for a lot of people. This is the important issue here - the INFLUENCE of the vatican and the Roman catholic ideological corporate bureaucracy. The vatican, the rcc AND the author would do well to respect the 3 million year old (at least!) tradition of indigenous culture and spirituality that has sustained human life for so so very long in complete harmony with what they call "God's creation". The rcc has borrowed/misappropriated so heavily from indigeny along with the vatican's oppression and exploitation of indigenous people and spiritual practice that continues to this very moment. We know clearly that the rcc and the vatican and the author of the review know nothing of intellectual clarity, ethical humanity nor the fundamental importance of cultural depth and necessity of the indigenous soul and it's place in the foundation of a functional system of spirituality, governance and cultural production upon this earth, past, present and future.

It is indigeny that has the duty of critiquing christian and roman catholic ideology and actions in the world, not the other way around. Once christian polity and its many followers finds enough clarity and humility to look inside itself and resolve its own deep, dangerous and violent contradictions and confusion, then we might be able to rely upon their inspired and enspirited input.

This entry is a copy of the review posted on alibris.com about Peter Buffett's "Spirit: A Journey in Dance, Drums and Song" submitted on 1/14/10.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter Buffett is an accomplished musician and music producer. While we can appreciate his attempt to form a musical and conceptual communion between indigeny (indigenous culture and spirituality, lifeways) and modern angst and challenge (born out of the divergence from the indigenous human developmental path), some of the resonance of the real that exists in his album, "Spirit: The Seventh Fire", is lost in the translation to video and to the physical/visual form of dance and movement. The album that inspired this video allows us to form a healthy process of exploration into the complex, yet simple conflict between indigeny and modernity and the disconnection of modern life and society from spirit, tradition and earth-based community and culture. The video starts off in a promising manner in the exposition of "Urban Overture", a creative and thought-provoking look into the modern machine-life that corporate sub-culture has created. The blockish movements of the European/USAmerican dancers are instructive for anyone seeking to have the gift of their awakening eyes and heart validated. This piece readies us for a deep journey into the inter-relationship of Western modernity and indigenous tradition - that never materializes or grounds itself in the performance. The performances of the "modern dancers" never equals the passion or the indigenous dance, not even with some other form of bitter-sweet beauty, framing the degradation that modernity has wrought upon indigeny and traditional societies. The European male modern dance lead never is given an intelligent, poignant or historically savvy way of kinetically relating to the presence and power of the Native American dancer(s) and thus never brings to the forefront the real engagement that needs to take place in the minds and heart of modern citizens. At one point, he literally and physically is left just taking up space as the weakened narrative suggests that some sort of inner and important transformation is taking place within him. It was sad to watch him sit cross legged in the middle of the stage, spotlit, as the power of the Native America dance and sound took flight around him, his fingers uncomfortably, ignorantly fondling a fake eagle feather. It was much more sad than thought-provoking in a moment that should have brought tears of initiatory joy to our hearts. Even the easy cliche of Native and modern dancers moving together as one was never cashed in on. Extra footage at the end of the tape revealing an interview with the choreographer left one thinking that the dance never had a chance to meet up with the great responsibility of the provision of clarity and learning about the conflict between the two cultural dynamics. "Tony Award Winner Wayne Cilento" was poorly chosen for this multi-plexed choreographic job. All in all, it seemed that Buffett's team knew more about it's own narrow viewpoints (however unconsciously), technically, creatively and conceptually - historically, than it did about how to gracefully, powerfully and insightfully create a union of thought and movement and sound that would truly be transformative and separate itself from the myriad of failed and flawed attempts that many Europeans/USAmericans engage in to voice a functional and instructive presentation of a relationship that still has so many dynamics to be resolved. Maybe one could have seen this coming with their use of Kevin Costner to introduce the video/dance recital. I'm sure none of the producers had read, or better yet understood, the deep levels of "white" power privilege and concomitant guilt that played itself out in "Dances with Wolves".

In addition, this presentation never gave voice or vision to the presence of indigeny living with and often in spite of modern culture. A Native American wearing blue jeans does not necessarily have to also be shown with a liquor bottle. There was no statement, other than the verbal/lyrical....eclipsed by the dazzling lights and mediocre movements...that indigeny belongs or lives in current time. It seemed to always show up as a flashback that all the modern-Costners of today could (mis)appropriate again and again for their own use, not for the highest good of all, all people, all living things, all our relations. Seemingly, Buffett and his team could not carry this one off, less so once they moved it from the much stronger statement of the purely musical presentation.

I was highly disappointed and will have to relegate this video to my robust and growing pile of cultural media studies samples that give us a more powerful idea of what and how not to create cultural communications than how to manifest creative and functional ideas that are validating to life, progressive social change and cultural clarity.

About Me

Ukumbwa Sauti, M.Ed. is a professor of cultural media studies, a facilitator of cultural media literacy and is fully engaged in research in areas of nature, media, indigenous culture and spirituality and the effects of modernity on the indigenous soul. He is trained in Indigenous African Spiritual Technologies in the Dagara tradition by Malidoma Some’ and Alwyn Thomas that includes ritual, numerology and divination. Ukumbwa completed the Dagara Elder Initiation in July of 2009. Ukumbwa is a member of East Coast Village in Cherry Plain, NY and a growing number of spiritual individuals and communities that are brave enough to know that the sustenance of human life on this earth is based upon a different and traditional, indigenous relationship with Nature and Spirit.
Ukumbwa is committed to engaging people and communities everywhere in a dialogue, a multilogue that informs, inspires, challenges and motivates us toward progressive and healing and balanced human behaviors with regard to each other and the natural world around us.